Saturday, June 08, 2013

Seven questions with... Joel Pike aka Tiny Leaves

I caught up with Joel via Twitter ... and asked if he'd answer my wee blog interview. I am delighted that he said yes.

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Joel and I compose & perform music as Tiny Leaves.

2) What are you working on at the moment?
A rewrite of a stunning track for another artist & the beginnings of my next project.

3) Who inspires you?- Name an artist or artists who has / have inspired you.
Sufjan Stevens' music changed my life.

- Name a place that has inspired you.
Wales & the Borders. I find something special about Wales that I can't quite put my finger on but I know I feel inspired and more whole around its skies, mountains & beaches. I've also become very fond of London's vibrancy & determination!

4) What drives you to do what you do?
A belief that we are all made to be intensely creative, to release something unique and of real beauty and worth upon the earth.

5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
Hope

6) What role does community play in what you do?
Writing music is quite a solitary experience and almost always done alone but I find great energy in collaborating with others across the arts. I couldn't sustain the creative pursuit without the support and belief of others. My wife is my greatest ally and we're part of a local church community who have been a huge source of encouragement in my music.

7) What is next for what you do?
After being in the wonderful South East of England for a decade, I'm relocating back the Borders, taking a more full-time role with Tiny Leaves and embarking upon the next project as well as welcoming the arrival of baby number three. I'm really excited about how the surrounding landscape will impact my music and the thought of spending a lot more time composing, in real daylight hours is awesome. I'll be working on developing the music for live sets with gigs coming up in the Autumn. Did I mention I have an album coming out on June 25th, released by Futuresequence called "A Good Land, An Excellent Land" ?!

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Thanks Joel! When you get back to the Borders ... maybe we can grab a coffee or something?